Hepcat

2005-09-21T14:11:00.000Z

Segregate Murray

2005-04-06T13:02:00.000Z

More of the same from Charles Murray. At best junk science, at its worst...people might actually listen to him.

Heysel

2005-04-05T08:29:00.000Z

Twenty years ago a tragedy happened that should have woken Britain up to a sickness in its national sport. In fact it took another four years and Hillsborough for the country to wake up. Now, as Liverpool prepare to take on Juve again Andrew Hussey has written a commentary on the events of that evening that every football fan should read.

Update: I've had a really good comment via email. Just to clear up, I meant that Hillsborough woke the nation up to issues around ground safety. I didn't mean to imply that it was connected to the same hooliganism.

Sound clever in front of your friends

2005-03-31T14:55:00.001Z

Given the current furore over the use of the word Tory (the Tories don't like it), I thought I'd mention that the word derives from the Gaelic toraidhe, meaning 'outlaw'. Its use in politics predates the Conservative Party (something to do with Royal succession - a prize for anyone who can tell me).

And my campaign was launched last night by David Blunkett (pictures to follow soon).

Sound clever in front of your friends

2005-03-31T14:55:00.000Z

Given the current furore over the use of the word Tory (the Tories have decided they don't like it), you can impress your friends by telling them that the word is derived from the Gaelic toraidhe, meaning 'outlaw'. Its use in politics predates the Conservative party (something about royal succession - prizes for anyone who can tell me).

And my manifesto was launched last night by David Blunkett. Pictures soon.

The reason I need to take the Easter break off

2005-03-24T13:25:00.000Z

I've always taken George W Bush for a Prescott-lite mangler of the English language, but a couple of days ago I glanced at a paper and saw this quote:

And there's no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail.

For one moment, I was struck with the fragile, brutal honesty of his admission. Here was a man, a leader, nobly following a course that he knows plots only certain and terrible defeat.

What is wrong with me? I really, really need a holiday.

Aargh! The agony! Quick - pass me the brandy!

2005-03-24T12:46:00.000Z

I love this story. These days you just wouldn't have a senior police officer feasting away and knocking back the Guinness in his lunch hour. Not only that, but his reaction to the pain brought on by the poison's effects makes me sort of swell with pride. A few more like Sir William around today and I swear we wouldn't have to blame society's problems on immigrants and travellers - he'd have solved them all in time for port and cigars.

Hmmm, I wonder when the election will be?

2005-03-24T12:22:00.000Z

John Prescott's a character. Really he is. In yesterday's PMQs (he was standing in for TB), he came out with this:

If people are to judge on 5 May—the election will be on 5 May, will it not?

[Interruption.]

The right hon. and learned Gentleman seems to have forgotten that it is the county council elections that will be on 5 May

Hillary Armstrong's face was a picture when he came out with that - there was a moment when everyone thought he'd just let slip the date of the general election. Brilliant! In an age where political debate is in danger of growing stale and predictable you can always count on Prescott.

Incidentally, I love it when Hansard records an 'interruption'. It did the same when Fathers for Justice threw paint during PMQs a few months back.

Oxblogger

2005-03-23T17:25:00.000Z

I haven't had time to mention, but I had a great evening with Patrick Belton last Thursday, celebrating St Patrick's Day. Although we're both in Oxford, it is the first time we'd met and he fully deserves to be the recipient of the inaugural 'Nicest Man in the Blogosphere' award.

His recipe for Guinness Brownies is a must for those of you with a sweet tooth!

Brains...BRAINS!!!!

2005-03-23T17:24:00.000Z

I love this picture. Very 'Return of the Living Dead Part II'.

Cracking the Da Vinci code

2005-03-16T14:11:00.000Z

There's been a lot in the press recently about the Catholic church's attempts to discredit the Da Vinci Code. I'd like to add my own plea to those considering reading the book. Please don't.

My reasons are wildly different to the Vatican's, however. It's just that the book is rubbish. No, that's not enough. I think that this is easily the worst book I've ever read. To say that it is terribly constructed, full of inconsistencies and the characters are laughable is simply inadequate. It is the literary equivalent of having warm milk poured directly into your brain. For hours after finishing the book I just stared into space, any chance of coherent thought nullified by the onslaught of sixth form plotlines I had just endured.

Take Leigh Teabing, the eccentric English academic. As an Englishman it is hard not to feel a little patronised by his characterisation. Look, he likes to drink tea! Oooo, see how the lower classes cow to his Lordship! I honestly wonder if Dan Brown has ever been to the UK.

Another example is Robert Langdon's flashback to his college lectures. It's hard to describe how unintentionally hilarious these passages are. Suffice to say I actually laughed out loud reading them.

It physically hurts me to think that there are so many great books in the world and that the Da Vinci Code is one of the most popular ever. Do yourselves a favour. Avoid it, or I'll track you down and beat you to into oblivion with a copy of Seize The Day. That's right! It will be a slow and painful death.

And if anyone is interested...

2005-03-04T17:12:00.000Z

I had a hand in this. Apologies for the pointy-headed blogging. I promise some David Lodge-style conference-blogging next week.

Every child should have one

2005-02-28T14:02:00.000Z

Very intermittent blogging I know, but in my defence, I've been proper busy1.

In the meantime, I wish this had been available when I was growing up.

Update: I think the paper should be appearing on the website soon. Phew! It was a herculean (group) effort! Not sure how I feel about being described as a sociologist though (see comments)! I suppose at least it's an 'ology'!

1. Click on 'program' and scroll down - you can find me under the 'Gender and Social Justice' stream.

Left wing reactionary + free merlot =

2005-02-10T16:57:00.000Z

There should be someone going 'Shh, he's not worth it'.

Have you kissed your PM today?

2005-02-02T20:05:00.000Z

Brilliant! Also see below...

Pucker up Tony

2005-02-01T09:49:00.000Z

Just keep the tongue in check big man...

What's in a name?

2005-02-01T09:42:00.000Z

When is genocide only human rights abuse? Who decides? Is this one of the most gutless things you've heard? Naming the atrocities in the Sudan as gemocide would have obliged the UN to act, so I guess it isn't that surprising really.

Am I the only one who finds a moral issue here around the justification of the war in Iraq? Regardless of what you think of the action itself, if spreading peace and democracy were worthwhile there, why aren't our leaders showing the same intent in Africa?

No more, ever

2005-01-31T18:08:00.000Z

The Guardian's excellent football section has the lowdown on why Rodney Marsh's 'joke' about the Tsunami victims is more than just crass, tasteless humour. I think that they're actually doing him a favour by belittling him as stupid. The real problem wasn't that Marsh didn't realise that what he said was in bad taste, but that he didn't see how it was wrong. This detatchment from the standards that the rest of society adhere to is something that, sadly, is all too common in the game today.

Teehee

2005-01-26T17:11:00.000Z

I love Unfogged. This made me laugh after a rubbish day in the office.

New! Interactive blogging!

2005-01-14T16:00:00.000Z

I'm having a proper think (for a change) about the comment on my last post. I'll put up a response shortly.

In the meantime, you remember the brilliant article that I mentioned ages ago? Well it looks like I'll probably be spending some time in Princeton with the author, Mario Luis Small. Woohoo!

It just makes you proud, doesn't it...

2005-01-12T14:29:00.000Z

In case you missed it, this week saw the first episode of ITV's new reality show Vote for Me! Essentially, this takes the Pop Idol format and replaces the musical hopefuls with would-be politicians. Good grief!

The first show was, to be honest, a real shocker. The initial interviews, usually the most entertaining part of Pop Idol, were frankly depressing. It is all very well seeing people making fools of themselves by butchering Ricky Martin tunes (if that's possible), but if I want to hear uninformed opinions from self important attention-seekers I'll just go to The Union. As well as this, I can't help but think that people are a little tired of the format, and that the subject matter is only really going to interest sad sacks like me.

Oh, and where will the winning candidate stand? Well, Michael Howard has a majority of under 6,000...

More on UKIP

2005-01-12T14:08:00.000Z

I've got a lot of time for Josh Chafetz's posts. Once again he shows a legitimate concern for the enduring (although thankfully marginal) popularity of UKIP. Regular readers will note that this is a particular concern of mine - I'm just aghast at the readiness of some parts of the MSM to accept what is essentially a party of the extreme right masquerading as a loose coalition of Eurosceptics.

Another election?

2005-01-10T16:07:00.000Z

OK, interesting news...I've just been asked if I'm interested in standing in the local elections. I'm going to start following it through and as best I can I'll post about the process, though I might not be able to go into great detail for obvious reasons. My initial thoughts:

1) Whaat?
2) Damn, I might miss the GE count on an 05/05/05 poll.

But then, I might not even get selected...

It just gets worse...

2005-01-10T15:40:00.000Z

I've just spent the morning drafting a campaign timetable for 05/05/05. Talk about humiliating! In my defence, I also drafted one for 9th June and even one for the 24th Feb. I've heard from the very highest authority that the Feb date may still happen, but it would have to be called in the next couple of weeks so I just don't buy it. I'm beginning to think that the symmetry of the May date appeals to a lot of the guys in the central party, who often keep half an eye on history.

Oh, and apologies for the errors in the post below - I was tired and not thinking straight. The Iraq thing applies, of course, to Feb.

I humbly back down...

2005-01-06T16:49:00.000Z

...And wipe the egg off my face. But Kavanagh is still wrong I tell you! It is to be a June election, I'm sure of it this time (if you believe that you'll believe anything - ed).

Seriously though, it is interesting to speculate about why the February rumours faded. The party machinery was definitely moving and the polling workload was definitely stepping up. If I had to place a bet, I'd say that despite the fact that a winter-supressed turnout would favour Labour, a lot of political baggage needed to be shifted before the campaign proper could begin (fox-hunting etc.)

Likewise, 050505 is probably a bad call as there will be local elections and hot (well, warm) weather to boost the turnout. Additionally, you can't discount the damaged caused by the high political profile of Iraq, with the elections due then (although this isn't my personal view).

So I stick my neck out once more and say June, where we've had five of the last six polls. I'm a traditionalist you see!

Tsunami appeal

2005-01-06T09:23:00.000Z

Just a note to any of my readers in Oxford:

WOLFSON TSUNAMI RELIEF BOP

THE DETAILS
When: Friday, January 7th 9PM-1AM
Where: Wolfson Cellar Bar
Cost: 2 pounds entry with ALL proceeds going to charity

This is not going to help me work off those Christmas pounds...

Yet more conference shennanigans

2004-12-22T15:15:00.000Z

I'll be presenting a version of the Coventry paper at the University of Bremen in March next year, at their Conference on Social Justice. The paper should be available on the conference website closer to the time.

Awwwwwwwwww

2004-12-22T15:06:00.000Z

Come on scrooge, if this doesn't make you festive, nothing will!

More Christmas cheer...

2004-12-22T14:52:00.000Z

These guys are funny. I'm making a point to link to more blogs I generally disagree with, as it worries me that maybe 90% of the sites I visit are pretty liberal (in the American sense). And shouldn't the internet be a forum for the great debate?

Well, have a read, and see what you think. And to link with my Christmas cheer theme, try and think of some challenging gifts to put in their stockings (Chumbawumba albums?), or indeed in mine (Spectator subscription?)

Christmas cheer

2004-12-22T13:20:00.000Z

War, famine, crime...God, Christmas is depressing, isn't it? It's enough to put you off your mince pies. Particularly as there is absolutely noone left in Oxford (except me, forlornly typing at my desk).

So to cheer me and everyone up, this space is henceforth dedicated to marvellous Christmas news! Starting with the long overdue solution to the 'German beer question'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More conference blogging...

2004-12-21T14:06:00.000Z

Someone just lent me a copy of David Lodge's 'Small World'. I'm hoping that in real life, the experience is far more mundane...

More good news!

2004-12-14T14:17:00.000Z

Don't pick up the soap Nick...

Good news everyone!

2004-12-14T11:37:00.000Z

I've been toiling so very hard down in the thoughtmines. But a thousand huzzahs, for I am back! And I come bearing publications!

I've been working on a paper with Martin Seelieb-Kaiser that will soon be a working paper at Bremen University (I'll link and give details when it appears) and possibly an article in Comparative European Politics.

I'm also presenting a paper on social justice at Coventry University (feel the glamour!) next year. Alas, I just can't find a reason to go here.

Hopefully more frequent blogging from now on in.

Me vs. Kavanagh

2004-11-26T17:55:00.000Z

No, not the former pop starlet, but The Sun's Trevor, who predicts that the next election will be held in May, and not February, as my crystal ball has revealed. So who is better connected? To paraphrase Kevin Keegan - I would love it, just love it if it was me. But more than likely I'll be cleaning the egg off my face before too long.

IACGMOOH-themed pop quiz

2004-11-24T13:13:00.000Z

Which ex-Southampton footballer applied to appear on 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here', but was turned down because noone knew who he was?

Ukranian elections

2004-11-24T10:55:00.000Z

Needless to say, my thoughts are with all Ukranians today. But while you hear about the push-and-shove of the political classes today, spare a thought for the shopkeeper who's worried about his property, or the mother who's wondering whether it will be safe to send her kid to school tomorrow.

Democracy's a battle sometimes. I just hope nobody gets hurt.

New blogging

2004-11-24T10:47:00.000Z

Kevin Sabet, a really nice and really talented guy, who's just started in my department, has set up a blog. Kevin's an interesting guy who recently worked as a speechwriter in the Bush administration (this is where I'd usually insert some kind of glib comment, but Kevin's far too nice...). Read his blog - I'm sure it will be good.

As an aside, he's posted some pictures of him meeting the President. While this is cool in itself, I found it really interesting as in some way it made GWB seem more human to me. Kevin's about my height, so I can kind of picture what it would be like to meet Bush now (though I've no idea what I'd say!). Interesting insight into the weird workings of my mind, huh?

Thanks and thanks again...

2004-11-24T10:45:00.000Z

I just wanted to say thank you to Coop for guesting here for the last week or so. It has been really fun and I'd urge you all to keep tabs on her blog in the future.

Thank you!

Au revoir until next time

2004-11-23T13:14:00.000Z

I'm afraid its time that I get back to Xanga now (come and visit me if you like) - I think I left a light on.
But before I go I would like to thank Rod for having me, and everyone who took the time to reply to me, even if some of you are a little crazy. I would also like to ask Rod one final, important politics question. Is this real?

Poppet over and out

Understanding pooh

2004-11-22T13:23:00.000Z

I was stood in the Disney shop at the weekend when I had a moment of illumination. As a child I never understood the joke: Pooh lived in a house in the hundred acre wood, under the name Sanders; that is the name Sanders was written on his door and he lived under it.

I finally get it!

Clearly The Woodlanders should be at the top

2004-11-19T13:39:00.000Z

I have to be careful here not to be accused of being a literary snob:
Its nice to see "top 100 novels of all time" lists that haven't been chosen by the public at large and thus aren't strongly biased towards things like Bridget Jones and Harry Potter. This list from Robert McCrum is a good counterbalance to The Nation's Favourite. Although some of the top ten does seem a little too worthy to be geniune. I refuse to accept that anyone would put Don Quixote at the top of their list. Did anyone ever enjoy really Clarissa? Seriously... Tristram Shandy?? And how is Anna Karenina so low?
Anyway, difference of opinion aside it is nice to see people are rating challenging reading for a change.

I couldn't agree more

2004-11-19T10:12:00.000Z

It's not often that I find myself lacking sympathy with those protesting against Bush, but this is pretty odious. For an elected official to stamp on an effigy of the President does more than demean eloquent and substantive disagreement. It just looks childish, and it certainly isn't the way to win an argument.

A closet Francophile speaks!

2004-11-18T16:41:00.000Z

Patrick Belton has an interesting take on Anglo-French relations. His basic argument is that Chirac is thoroughly disagreeable. He's right - of course - the man's more than a little dodgy. But I do think that the 'violent love' that Chirac talks about between our countries is nothing new. Some of us applauded (some still do) de Gaulle's 'Non'. Reaching deeper into history, think of the reaction in Britain to the French Revolution (we sent troops to France).

There's nothing really new here, and it is difficult to capture exactly how it feels to be a British Francophile. A kind of violent love isn't perfect, but it is the best attempt I've seen.

A Shakespeare post? It must be Poppet

2004-11-17T13:35:00.000Z

I have been thinking a lot recently about how I would direct Hamlet if I was ever called upon to stage a production of it (which seems quite unlikely, I know). With this in mind, I particularly like this list of things I would never do when staging a Shakespeare.
Inexplicably, I will never portray Hamlet as having had sex with, or wanting to have sex with his mother is in there, but I will never have Hamlet consider suicide in the to be or not to be speech is not.
I would be tempted to add: 1) I will never have the actor playing King Lear leap to his feet at the end of the play after Lear died (indeed, I might add I will never cut out the eye gouging scenes from said play) and 2) I will never mock the less hirsuite members of the audience for a quick laugh with my oversized Timmy Mallet comb, to compensate for the fact that the play I have chosen to stage is really dull.

Could do better...

2004-11-15T17:23:00.000Z

Andrew Sullivan has a brilliant blog. You should go and read it - really. He's capable of writing with immense sensitivity. He has a way of opening you up to ideas and opinions that you would never normally share.

But then...he comes out with something like this. On the face of it a reasonable post (its point about the BBC's timeline is particularly good, though I think he's doing Plett a disservice). But comparing the beeb to Stalin undermines him completely. It just makes him sound like a swivel-eyed loony, and he's really so much better than that.

All too predictably...

2004-11-15T16:04:00.000Z

...and in the interests of objectivity and fairness:

www.werenotsorry.com

www.notsorryeverybody.com

Resignation fever

2004-11-15T15:35:00.000Z

Colin Powell's out, apparently - with more on the way (Rumsfeld anyone?). And with the rumpus over Boris Johnson rumbling on I'm beginning to wonder whether it's silly season. Below is a list of my favourite resignations. A special mention for any memorable resignation stories readers are willing to share:

1) Geoffrey Howe, 1990
2) Peter Mandelson (both times...and I'm including his 'scary' comeback in Hartlepool)
3) Edwina Currie, 1988
4) Richard Nixon, 1974 (token US effort, not very memorable)
5) Margaret Thatcher, 1990 (Oh, the tears!!!!)

Update: OK, so maybe not Rummy...

It's OK, we forgive you

2004-11-12T15:37:00.000Z

http://www.sorryeverybody.com

A big, belated welcome

2004-11-12T15:33:00.000Z

With typical timing, I'd like to formally welcome Coop to the blog. She'll be writing here for the next week or so along the lines of the posts on her own, fantastic blog. I've asked her to come over because:

a) We don't get to hang out as much as we should,
b) I thought it would be interesting to broaden the content of the blog, and
c) In the hope that she would bring some new (and, so it seems, prurient) visitors

I'll try and sort out the posting problem ASAP so you can tell who is writing.

Nature v Nurture

2004-11-12T13:22:00.000Z

I have been reading Paradise Lost of late and it offers an interesting angle to the old nurture/nature question.

Eve was disobendient and thus bad: was this because of the nurturing from her family situation? Well, you could wheel out the single parent argument, but I think that God was prolly more than enough mother and father (plus they had the host of angels guarding and looking after them). Adam, of course, could claim that Eve led him astray (boo!)
So then, could it have been, instead, in Eve's nature? But could God have given Eve naughty genes? Unlikely.

What, then, it boils down to is, as always, peer pressure. Satan, disguised as a garden snake actually tells Eve that it will make her smarter and Adam will respect her more. Oh and she'll look really cool.

By the way, don't beleive the computer. This was posted by me. Not Rod.

Cameo

2004-11-11T13:13:00.000Z

Seeing as I am clearly not going to get a drum roll welcome; hello everyone. I am on sabbatical from Xanga for a week, or until Hepcat chucks me off. I know nothing about politics or football (literature being my thang) but I guess he was just after the exposure of all of my loyal readers for a week.

Anyway, so, going with the political theme: over the past few weeks I have been looking at the power roles in Hamlet (suggested by a great BBC production). For example, I have been looking at the illegal transferal of the power of the crown. After his brother's death Claudius got the throne by two dodgy methods. Firstly, the system was crooked. Claudius appointed himself (with the aid of his corrupt council) King before Hamlet even has a chance to contest it. The country loved Hamlet more than Claudius (Cl admits this) and yet they didn't get a chance to have their voices heard (according to most political critics the king should have been elected by the people in this situation).

The second method is that he plays on his kingly abilities - Denmark is being threatened with war by a bloodthirsy adversary, and the people are turning to him to protect them. They are scared and worried that having Hamlet rule the country might be about as much use as letting Gerty run it. But he's still a murdering, lying baddie, isn't he?

Now, as I say, I'm not up on current affairs and politics. But it makes you think, doesn't it?
Thanks for listening,
Poppet

Amitai Etzioni

2004-11-10T10:21:00.000Z

I've just discovered that Amitai Etzioni keeps a blog, and although I haven't had time to read much of it, it looks as though he updates it regularly.

For those of you who don't know, Etzioni is a distinguished academic and extremely influential communitarian thinker. I'm incredibly excited about this and look forward to reading his thoughts online.

A test of my 'inside knowledge'

2004-11-09T13:39:00.000Z

OK, I give everyone my full permission to titter if I'm wrong. But let me put it this way. If I was a betting man, I'd believe pretty much everything I heard about the election coming in February.

So what does this mean? Well Feb is a pretty unusual month for elections in the UK. In fact, we haven't had a February election since Wilson's win in 1974. Before that, you have to go back to 1950, and then consecutively in 1910 and 1906.

So why so unusual? Well I'm not sure it can be about the weather, with the assumption being that a low turnout favours the incumbent - 1974 saw the highest turnout in recent history. At a guess, I'd say that it would sweep the slate clean for the domestic agenda, buying the government a lot of time to work on the EU constitution referendum. But hey, looking outside, maybe it is the weather afterall.

High brow election commentary

2004-11-05T13:03:00.000Z

Why the long face?

Hmm

2004-11-01T10:26:00.000Z

Bin Laden eh? What can you say about all this...personally I think it's missing the point a little to talk about the impact on the election. I'll leave that to Wonkette, just because of the Princess Bride reference.

Snookered!

2004-11-01T10:22:00.000Z

Let's all take a breather from the election to consider Michael Howard's misspent youth.

Aaaah. That's better, isn't it?

It's the endorsement, stupid!

2004-10-25T14:04:00.000Z

Is it me, or do the Republicans have the lamest celebrities endorsing them. Arnie aside, I think the Dems win this contest hands down. Here's a rough count - fill me in on any I missed:

Rep:
Arnold Schwartzenegger
Bruce Willis
Kurt Russell
Ron Silver
Ugly Baldwin

Dem:
Matt Damon
Ben Affleck
Alec Baldwin
Sharon Stone
Jesse Ventura!
Sean Penn
Susan Sarandon
Leonardo di Caprio
Robert de Niro
Michael Douglas

Hmmm. Ron Silver? Come on...

Update: It's Tom Selleck for the Reps, I'm afraid.

Ventura for Kerry!

2004-10-25T13:56:00.000Z

This is pretty funny, and regular readers will notice that it combines the dream mixture of high politics and action movies.

Election

2004-10-25T13:52:00.000Z

Pretty much everything important that needs to be said about the election is going on elsewhere. I'm just going to point readers to Ron Suskin's excellent article on the sitting President. You must read this, by the way.

Oh, and in a move slightly less surprising than the Oxbloggers', I'm going to finally come out and endorse Kerry!

Call for Kerry

2004-10-13T08:35:00.000Z

Get involved in the Kerry campaign by calling voters in swing states. Click on this link for details.

Gee! Soccerball!

2004-10-05T11:28:00.000Z

Headline spotted on CNN this morning:

Football: Jonny Wilkinson, 25, appointed England's new head coach.

In fairness, I can't even begin to understand baseball. It's like rounders, right?

A passing

2004-09-16T10:30:00.000Z

Sad news today, with the death of Johnny Ramone. I'll link to obits as they appear. I'll allow myself a respectful play of Blitzkreig Bop when I get home...

Tories for Bush?

2004-09-16T10:04:00.000Z

Well, the whippersnappers anyway...read on.

Shuffling the pack

2004-09-16T09:11:00.000Z

Loads of really interesting stuff happening at the minute, more than I have time to do justice to really, so today's posts are a bit of a digest. I'll try and point the way to the more interesting commentary out there.

Reshuffle! Always a cause of great excitement among us pointy-heads.

I have to take the fifth on the Labour ins-and-outs, but interesting goings on in Smith Square. David Cameron was always going to get a job, watch him for one of the big posts after the next election. The real surprise, for me, was that Oliver Letwin (who's been virtually anonymous in recent months) and Teresa May (never quite forgiven for her 'nasty party' comment) remained in post. The return of grandees Nicholas Soames and John Redwood is probably not the desparate act many have suggested, but an attempt to shore up core support.

Oh, and Christ! Is it me, or does this look a little...authoritarian?

Where's Boris?

2004-09-10T13:41:00.000Z

This appears to be an extremely comprehensive, and therefore mildly concerning site dedicated to Boris Johnson. It actually blogs his movements!

At once brilliant and scary.

Lull

2004-09-10T11:40:00.000Z

Slow blogging recently...I'm working on the ESPAnet Conference...have a look through some of the papers if you're interested.

What's in a name?

2004-09-09T09:24:00.000Z

Bet this isn't the first time Hilary Benn's had problems...

Sad news

2004-09-06T15:31:00.000Z

It saddens me a little to hear that Matt Yglesias has been forced to shut down the comments on his blog after a number of extremely personal and fairly nasty comments from the 'crazy side' of the blogosphere.

I'm really sorry this has happened and hope he is able to sort it out soon. In the meantime, I urge everyone to visit Matt's excellent blog.

Absolutely no puns

2004-09-06T08:35:00.000Z

Resisting any pun around Zell Miller's speech (Zell's bells, Zell is other people, highway to Zell etc.) I'm leaving the final word on the RNC to The Poor Man.

Did anyone realise that the Pres made a speech on Thursday? It didn't get much coverage over here.

RNC

2004-09-02T15:52:00.000Z

Much like the DNC, Matt Yglesias is covering the Republicans, and boy, did he not like Zell's speech! The ever-excellent Oxblog is there too, this time David Adesnik gets the nod.

On a serious point, some of the imagery at the RNC really rams home some of the differences between the electorate in the UK and the US. The patriotic music, the flags...the hats! I've no idea how it plays in the US, but I can't imagine it being anything but disasterous here. Anyone remember Neil Kinnock at the 1992 Conference in Sheffield?

Update: I saw Zell Miller's speech last night, and to be honest, I kind of see where Matt's coming from (for once!) - I saw Cheney's as well. He's by far the better orator, but fell a bit flat to my eyes. You may have noticed I'm a day behind with all this. Next...Kerry Wins Iowa caucus!

Defying convention

2004-08-31T09:47:00.000Z

I'm big enough to reach across the partisan divide and say that the White House snub of Michael Howard is just wrong. It has been widely reported that, apparently angered by Howard's calls for Tony Blair to resign in the wake of the Iraq war, Karl Rove told him to 'forget' about meeting the President.

If the Bush administration is prepared to breach convention and so obviously state its preference for the outcome of the next general election in the UK, surely it is fair that, regardless of our political persuasion, we do the same.

Badge of honour

2004-08-31T08:51:00.000Z

This is the most wonderful, wonderful thing. Will the RNC come up with anything better?

Birthday!

2004-08-17T10:58:00.000Z

Yay! It's my birthday! Boo! I'm working! But yay! I got a Daily Politics mug!

Also, via John & Belle, this article made my morning. It's funny because, although I can't quite believe it, it seems to be true.

Just look at the guy's picture - he seems to be doing a cross between a fascist salute and that thing where you playfully punch someone on the chin. Except on himself.

Imagine him trying to pick up girls. Scary.

Last Action Hero

2004-08-16T13:14:00.000Z

'What did you do on your hols Tone?'

'Nothing much Jonno, you?'

'I bloody saved a member of the public from drowning! Am I closing on the title of the most knockabout MP ever or what!?! I mean Christ! Look at me!'

'Well, Nye Bevan was a big guy...'

Damn you Fabricant!!!

2004-08-16T11:16:00.000Z

Well, summer is here and the Westminster village lays silent. Champagne Tony is in Athens and the rest are doing, well, whatever it is they do on their hols. A lack of politics in the news has left a hack like me with nothing to do to occupy his time (erm – except maybe write my thesis!?!).

So I thought I’d share a couple of stories about the Tory legend that is Michael Fabricant, the MP with a name most resembling that of a Bond villain.

Michael narrowly misses out being included on the ‘political hairdos’ series as he doesn’t possess a combover, but a particularly luxuriant wig. To be correct - a Woganesque three luxuriant wigs of varying length – presumably to give the impression of growth. The longest of these, however, is of truly huge proportions. Think Limahl, or Pat Sharpe in his pomp. Its Commons debut drew a collective gasp from the gallery.

The coiffured one also has a rather interesting night time habit (not that kind of habit – I’ve got no intention of turning into a kind of liberal Drudge). His Parliamentary office is near the roof, and occasionally, Michael has been know to venture out and, using the floodlights, project ‘bunny head’ shapes onto Big Ben.

Summer is rubbish

2004-08-12T11:58:00.000Z

Rain, wasps and no Brains Trust until September.

Not sure if I'm going to cope, seeing as I'm the kind of degenerate who giggles everytime he sees Richard Titmuss on a reading list...

Political hairdos

2004-08-10T13:22:00.000Z

Part 1 of an occasional series of topical political combovers

Nominee for CIA Director, Porter Goss:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3551854.stm

Subtle, but distinguished. His hairline is concealed like a commie spy.

Non-story of the week

2004-08-09T13:00:00.000Z

Oh, come on. What exactly is The Guardian trying to prove? No-one in the Labour Party really cares what is written in Renewal, let alone the outside world.

(Regular readers might want to look out for a hasty retraction of the above statement next time I have an article to hawk).

A plague on sport

2004-08-09T12:47:00.000Z

Over at CT, Kieran Healy raises a subject that has always worried me. The use of performance-enhancing drugs appears endemic in athletics, not to mention other sports.

The way I see it, the problem isn't so much to do with pressure to compete, but that the use of illegal supplements and drugs has become an acceptable risk in the eyes of coaches and athletes alike. From my limited experience in high-level sport, almost everyone takes some form of (legal) supplement, not through personal choice, but because it is expected by managers and coaches. Protein supplements are incorporated into an athletes training regime and provided free of charge after training sessions. I can see that it can only be a short step between this and being persuaded to take performance-enhancing drugs.

Despite the fact that I'm usually really careful about what I put into my body, I'm ashamed to say that I've been persuaded to take the supplements provided without knowing exactly what was in them. Mind you, it didn't do me much good...!

Born to run

2004-08-06T08:35:00.003Z

Now we all know the Boss speaks from the heart. But I sincerely believe that if he'd chosen to campaign by himself, he'd have had more impact. I just don't think any of those other bands can speak to ordinary Americans in the way that Springsteen does. REM just embody the kind of sixth form poetry that enrages you so much it makes you, y'know, want to slap someone just for the hell of it. And the Dixie Chicks? For Chrissakes man!

It's also really interesting to notice Bruce's luke-warm endorsement of Kerry/Edwards. Sure, he wants them to win, but I get the impression that like many of us, he can't help but wonder 'then what'. The truth is that whichever way you cut it, neither of them are fit to lace his boots.

Update: I was sorely tempted to title this post 'Bruce Almighty'.

Maxing the envelope!

2004-07-29T10:56:00.000Z

I've been reading a fantastic article by Mario Luis Small, Culture, Cohorts and Social Organisation Theory: Understanding Local Participation in a Latino Housing Project. It is so good because he basically pushes social organisation theory to its limits by introducing a number of different critiques.

For him, I think, the most telling point is that he brings the idea of culture back into sociological debate, but the article appeals to me for two reasons. Firstly, Small makes a bridge between social theory and practice by reviving the debate about culture and placing it at the heart of his thinking around citizen participation and civil society - previously a no-go area. Secondly, his methods and the way he writes situate his work right at the coal face. The fact that you can empathise with his subjects and the social problems they face is a rare thing in contemporary sociological writing and has been rightly applauded (this paper won the Robert Park Award for Best Article in community and urban sociology from the American Sociological Association).

Unfortunately, it is really hard to find online, but it is available in the American Journal of Sociology 108 (1).

Convention! Convention! Convention!

2004-07-28T15:57:00.000Z

For those of you who have never witnessed the spectacle of a convention in election year, I urge you to watch the Democratic convention on TV - it will be running until Thursday. Compare and contrast to party conference season over here...They have way more fun.

If you can't be bothered, Patrick Belton is blogging from the Fleet Centre.

Update: As is Matt Yglesias.

The summer game

2004-07-23T14:55:00.000Z

I get to go to the test tomorrow. I love Lord's, and it looks as though it is shaping up to be a lazy summer day where I can fall asleep under the paper with my can of warm, overpriced lager slipping from my unconcious fingers to the floor, attracting insects from miles around. Ah, the bliss of an English summer!

Seriously, it looks as though Brian Lara will bat tomorrow, something I've been excited about seeing ever since I got the ticket. It should be a good day.

Update: Gah! No I won't - It looks as though I just cursed the poor lad. He's gone really cheaply!

Welfare and the like

2004-07-23T08:49:00.000Z

This post by Chris Bertram over at CT is interesting for two reasons. Although I can't really see the benefit in devising 'league tables' like this - their value is always going to be undermined by a certain amount of subjectivity - it is interesting to see how neatly it fits with Esping Andersen's typologies of welfare. For those of you not familiar with his work, this link should provide a basic and brief introduction.

1 Sweden
2 Norway
3 Netherlands
4 Finland
5 Denmark
6 Germany
7 Luxembourg
8 France
9 Spain
10 Japan
11 Italy
12 Canada
13 Belgium
14 Australia
15 United Kingdom
16 Ireland
17 United States

Strange, isn't it? Social Democratic states at the top, then the Corporatist, with the Liberal regimes propping up the table.

Probably more interesting, however, is how this kind of topic brings the crazies out of the woodwork (see the comments on Chris' post).

Gov. Schwarzenegger calls budget opponents 'Girlie Men'

2004-07-21T15:30:00.000Z

Come on, be honest. This is why you secretly hoped he'd get elected, isn't it?

Association Football was the real winner...

2004-07-21T11:34:00.000Z

Cavaliers FC, the UK's premier invitation 5-a-side football team, who I am honoured to occaisionally represent, last night ended a run of 18 successive defeats.

I am pleased for the whole squad. They're all great guys and I'm proud to call them my friends.

Butler update...

2004-07-19T15:23:00.000Z

Well, I'm going to stand by my slightly frenzied and incoherent late-night comments on the Butler report last week. Is this the start of it?

Oh, and has anyone seen Don Rumsfeld lately? I'm getting worried, he used to be all over our screens.

Democracy in America

2004-07-19T15:03:00.000Z

I've been working the nightshifts...5 last week, and consequently I'm shattered. One upside of this is that I took the time to re-read de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, something that I've been meaning to do for a while.

I hadn't read either of the volumes since my undergraduate degree and if I'm being honest, I'm not sure I fully appreciated them back then. But they are truly brilliant - the clarity of de Tocqueville's work and his observations are just astounding, I urge everyone to read him. But the very worst thing about this is that when he wrote the book, he was my age!

Very few of us have the ability and the opportunity to write something as brilliant as Democracy in America, so I'm not going to take it to heart, but it has forced me to sit up and start writing again after a week or so off. It also made me think about the kind of work that I really admire. Street Corner Society (incidentally, Bill Whyte was in his early twenties when he visited Cornerville), Second City Politics, it's all observation and comment. I'm going to have to have a serious think about my work and see if my approach reflects what I really want to be doing.

Butler Report

2004-07-14T18:11:00.000Z

I've been working all day, so haven't had time to digest the Butler Report yet. I did, though, manage to catch some of his introduction, and some of the responses on PMQ's.

My initial reaction was disappointment - this wasn't going to be a historical moment, and was beginning to sound like a fudge. But after a little thought, I think this could be one of those slow-burners. Butler was very careful not to portion out individual responsibility in his report. Where he did, as in the case of John Scarlett, he was at pains to point out that, well, heads shouldn't roll, so to speak.

But the fact remains that Butler did look at the evidence and find fault. He's a canny operator, and knows enough to realise that he doesn't have to name and shame - politicians, for all their faults, are smart enough to be able to do that. I'd also hazard a guess that, as a former cabinet secretary he'd be pretty uncomfortable doing this.

But his findings are interesting. Lets talk about the 45 minute claim as it is perhaps the most notorious. Butler found that this was based on shaky evidence, and was exaggerrated beyond its true importance. OK, so nothing new. He also asserted that it was exaggerated in good faith. Well sure, I don't think many people actually believed Blair was lying about that. But that is hardly the point. The war was sold on inaccurate information, and the government accepts this. So someone is at fault, and I don't think it will be long before critics of the government start laying blame.

So despite the fact that noone is really blamed in the document, it could prove to be a pretty big stick to beat the government with. I'm not 100% on all the content yet, but I'm pretty sure that some of his findings will have caused a few palpitations. Wait and see what happens...

The Lodge!

2004-07-12T20:23:00.000Z

Well, here I am, stuck in the Porter's Lodge for my first really long shift. Not as interesting as I'd hoped. I've decided to pass the time reading JG Ballard's 'Empire of the Sun', a gift from a good friend which I'd intended to read ages ago, but never had the time.

Aside from giving me time to catch up on reading, this job does have one additional perk: Fantastic (free) food. The food at Mansfield is amazing and each evening I can basically order what I want. Today I went traditional and light: I had Ham and Mustard sandwiches with salad.

Any ideas about how to kill the next 2 1/2 hours?

PMQ watch

2004-07-07T15:00:00.000Z

Did you see Blair tear into Kennedy and the Lib Dems today? Probably not so much about the Leicester/B'ham by-elections as a longer term tactic in the run to the next elections.

It's Edwards

2004-07-07T14:59:00.000Z

I got an email from the Kerry campaign yesterday, but unfortunately deleted it, so I can't post it here.

Obvious choice, but thank goodness!

After Blair...

2004-07-05T18:26:00.000Z

Reading John Reid's less-than-veiled warning to Gordon Brown not to expect a clear run at the Labour leadership in the morning papers made me think about exactly who might stand for the leadership when Blair's leadership finally ends. This post is a rundown of who I think might be the main candidates.

Firstly, I'd better be clear about something. I'm a member of the Labour Party, so I have a vested interest in this. While I can't pretend to be an 'insider', I'm basing this on conversations and hearsay from people whose opinion I respect. It'll be interesting to see how wrong I can be!

Gordon Brown: The obvious front-runner, but not a shoe-in. Without doubt, the most successful Labour Chancellor ever, but his tendency to polarise the party could cause him difficulty. The way he has structured the Treasury would not directly translate to No. 10, and he will need to go on a serious charm offensive to change the public's perception of him as rather dour and uncharismatic.

Alan Milburn: A very strong candidate. Has the left-wing credentials to please the dissident unions, but also popular with the Blairite right. Has been making a number of distinctly statesman-like speeches on public service reform of late, but will need to answer tough questions about the reasons for resigning his ministerial post if he runs.

John Reid: His comments this morning could signal his intentions to run, but I suspect that he won't, instead using loyalty to Brown to win one of the top cabinet jobs. He doesn't have too many years left, and I think if he thinks hard about it, he will realise that he cannot win.

Robin Cook: Will win support because of anti-war sentiment, and looks a certainty for a cabinet post whatever the outcome. I can't see him going for the top job, but he could act as kingmaker.

Alastair Darling: Anyone who can maintain a low profile in the DoT has to be a contender and I'd pitch him as a strong outsider. However, his profile could work against him in the long run, and the party leadership could be wary of the 'Alastair Who?' effect.

I think those are the main contenders, but I think there will be a standard-bearer from the left in there as well. It could be one of many, and I'd welcome any thoughts...

Mmmmmm

2004-07-02T15:32:00.000Z

My friend (and long-suffering office-buddy) Lisa has gone to a conference in Edinburgh. She has left some delicious-looking cookies on her desk.

Should I eat the cookies?

Update: If there are no comments I shall assume it is OK to eat the cookies.

Another update: I ate the cookies. Assuming Lisa doesn't blog, it is the perfect crime!

Yet another update: Actually, I had a pang of guilt and have resolved to replace the cookies.

Night shift

2004-07-02T15:19:00.000Z

Be prepared for some frenzied late-night blogging in the next few weeks. I've taken a night porter job at my college to make ends meet. There's going to be a few long nights ahead...

My Life...update

2004-07-02T15:12:00.000Z

Matthew Yglesias clearly has more time on his hands than I do. He's already read 'My Life', while I've barely had enough time to log on this week, let alone post. I've read what Matt considers to be the 'first' book, and broadly agreewith what he says. Tragically, I find the minutae of Arkansas politics pretty interesting.

I don't think he's quite right about the lack of candour in the book, though. I've already noticed a couple of none-too-subtle digs at GWB. Still, he's right about one thing - it doesn't look like being anywhere near the best book on the Clinton presidency. That has to be Bob Woodward's 'The Choice'.

In case you get bored watching the game tonight...

2004-06-24T15:06:00.000Z

This is brilliant!

Marvellous news! Bill Clinton has a book!

2004-06-24T14:59:00.000Z

Cool, I've just finished another chapter of the PhD! Speaking of epic tomes, I bought the Clinton autobiography on Tues. Despite the pasting it has received in the press and, predictably, by conservative commentators, it isn't actually that bad. Sure, I'm only a couple of hundred pages in, but it is already better than Hillary's. For starters, he can actually write coherently. Also, a lot of the book might seem dull to those only interested in salacious gossip about his philanderings, or Whitewater, but I actually find the way he talks about his background candid and refreshing.

Oh, and unlike a lot of people who have reviewed it, I'm actually bothering to read it...Updates soon

Trashing the Blue Peter Garden

2004-06-23T13:12:00.000Z

I've just found out something that, if it is true, is quite amazing. Apologies if this is esoteric, but does anyone remember when the Blue Peter garden was vandalised back in 1983? I was only 5, but I have a really clear memory of one of the presenters crying.

Well, apparently, one of the culprits was veteran footballer Les Ferdinand!!! This is only a rumour, and I'd really appreciate some confirmation.

FBU

2004-06-21T16:03:00.000Z

This didn't seem to make any headlines at all, but probably has greater implications for the government than the current furore over the EU.

Labour traditionally relies on the unions, not only for financial backing (and the withdrawal of FBU support will cost the party a cool £50K), but for a core base of support. The implications of this move could reach to the next election and beyond, but it doesn't seem to be something that either the press or the Tories have picked up on. What will be interesting to watch is if other members of the 'awkward squad' of unions (i.e. Unison) follow this lead...